


Love And Other Headaches

by Pretenditwasjustadream



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Hospital, I havent updated in so long but im working on it i promise, I need to edit previous chapters too, Its been almost a year since i updated, Love, concussion, im so sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-30
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-01-21 10:21:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1547201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pretenditwasjustadream/pseuds/Pretenditwasjustadream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Haruhi falls and hits her head and develops a massive headache and becomes too dizzy to stand up, Kyoya takes it upon himself to step in and help out the best he can. But when she's given powerful painkillers and becomes a little careless, an accidental "I love you" is said. How will the stone cold Shadow King react? Will love arise? Or will there be tension between the two?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! KyoHaru is my favorite pairing in Ouran, and I have been planning this fic for a while. I hope you enjoy reading it, just as much as I do writing it!  
> ~ Pretenditwasjustadream

The early morning sunlight spilled out across the floor of Haruhi Fujioka's bedroom. The first year honor student had been awake the majority of the night with nothing but an awful feeling of anxiety to keep her company. As it had every other morning, her alarm clock went off at exactly six-fifteen.

The girl groaned and rolled over; her grogginess was unusual.

Haruhi sat up and rubbed her eyes as she yawned. She truly felt awful; there was no other way to describe it. Despite her wanting to stay home and in bed, she proceeded to get ready for school.

Within an hour, after a walk in the brisk morning air, she arrived at school, finger tips and nose slightly numb. When the weather got really bad, she would try and make a train, but there were also at least five boys who would be more than willing to give her a ride if needed. And then there was Kyoya; she never knew where she stood with him.

At times he was smiling, seemingly happy with her and her performance as a host, but then there were times where he threatened to add onto her debt or making her stay and clean the club room by herself.

Haruhi sighed and shook her head as if to clear the thought. Her possible friendship with the seemingly cold-hearted Kyoya Ootori would have to be figured out later.

The day dragged on and she grew increasingly tired, fighting to keep her eyes open at some points. When her classes finally broke for lunch, she made her way to Music Room 3.

As they always had, the seven Host Club members sat together at one of the larger tables in the room, and while Haruhi—who was normally bright eyed and ready for conversation—kept her eyes downcast and pushed her food around without actually eating any, the only one who seemed to notice the change in Haruhi's demeanor was Kyoya, though he didn't do anything other than raise an eyebrow before robotically turning his attention back to his ever-so-present black book, probably taking note of it.

Soon enough, lunch had come and gone, and Tamaki had only made one "Daddy, daughter" comment. Deep down inside, she felt proud, almost as if Tamaki was a small child. The girl let out something of a laugh as she entered her math class right behind the twins, who were wrapped up in a conversation about a fashion show they would be attending with their mother that weekend.

Math was relatively easy; just a review quiz as they had every Monday. Upon finishing, she promptly turned it in to her teacher, who quickly looked it over and put it in the pile on their desk. Haruhi headed back to her seat, where she decided to put her head down for just a moment…

…The problem being that it wasn't for just a moment. Haruhi had slept through the entire class, only to have awoken when the final bell rang out across campus, signaling the end of the school day.

Startled by the noise, she jumped and started gathering up her things and shoving them into her bag, ready to get home. As she tried hurrying down the aisle of desks not really paying attention to her surroundings, too focused on curling up in bed, she ran into another classmate who had just stepped out in front of her. The brunette was on the floor before she could even cry out.

A sudden pain shot through her skull as she groaned.

"Haruhi," The two Hitatchiin boys shouted, running over to the female host. Koji, the boy she had run into, was nowhere in sight.

"Are you alright," Hikaru asked, kneeling down next to her head.

"Do you need a nurse," his brother Kaoru added immediately with an equal amount of concern.

The female disregarded the twins' questions.

"I'm fine," she said, sitting up slowly, holding a hand to the back of her head where it had made contact with the floor. Haruhi was lying through her teeth, though neither of the red haired boys could tell. Her entire head throbbed in a dull pain that she was hoping would ware off, and her eyes were blurry and unfocused.

One of the twins offered her a hand and she gladly accepted it. When she got to her feet, she stumbled forward a few steps, but then grabbed onto a corner of a desk, steadying herself.

"Haruhi, maybe you should go home," the twins suggested as they watched her wearily. "We can tell Tono that you weren't feeling very well."

In response, she gave her head a shake, which only made things worse. "No, I'm fine, really, guys," Haruhi said. Truthfully, going home sounded wonderful, but she knew that she should just suck it up and make it through the next two hours. And she did just that as her ears were ringing and her stomach warred against her..

Club had just ended when her headache came back, this time with a vengeance. Haruhi was lying on her back on one of the pink sofas, knowing that she should probably start cleaning up along with the rest of the group, but she couldn't bring herself to stand up. Even sitting was difficult, as it felt as if her entire brain was spinning.

"Haru-chan," Hani said in his sweet voice as he walked over to the brunette. "Are you alright, Haru-chan? You don't look like yourself." Upon hearing this, Mori came over and guided his cousin away, whispering something in his ear. Tamaki, who had been close by, looked over at the trio.

"Haruhi! Is my daughter alright," he cried out, rushing over to the sofa, followed by the twins. The yelling only made her headache worse. She took a deep breath through gritted teeth.

"I'm fine, Senpai," she responded in a low whisper, not wanting to worsen her condition. By now, the ordeal had caught the interest of the Shadow King himself.

"You know, Haruhi, you do look a little pale. Have you had any water recently?" The raven haired boy inquired, closing his laptop and wandering over to meet the rest of the group. In response, she just nodded with her eyes closed.

"Have you fallen? Hit your head? How about eating? You ate lunch, correct?" His questions just kept coming as he moved closer. Soon, he was kneeling down next to her, hand resting on the arm of the chair, looking at her intently.

The twins were the ones who answered for her. "She fell in math," they chorused. "She ran into Koji Nishimura and hit her head." Haruhi opened her eyes and glared at them, causing the duo to move back a few steps.

"I'm fi—," Haruhi started, only to be cut off by the youngest Ootori child.

"Haruhi, I'm taking you to see one of my family's doctors," he said, standing up and brushing his pants off, though they looked no different from before. "Get your stuff together, I'll call my driver."

Tamaki immediately assumed a look of distress, as there was no way that he would let his precious 'daughter' out of his sight with another boy…Or rather, 'Mommy' in his mind. "No! I will not let you take our daughter! I will take her myself!"

Kyoya turned around and glared at the blond boy. "If I do recall, Tamaki, you have a meeting with your father in twenty minutes," he said in a cold tone. His best friend shrunk away, feeling intimidated.

Haruhi stood up after bracing herself for the difficulty that walking would surely bring. The room spun and she stumbled forward; within a couple of seconds, Mori hand an arm around her, stabilizing the girl. She reached a hand out and clutched his wrist. Kyoya sighed and took the female host into his arms before nodding to his elder, a motion that said, _I'll take it from here_.

"Mmm," Mori hummed and passed her over. On his way out, Kyoya grabbed both of their backpacks and carried both them, and Haruhi out to his limo. As his driver opened the door, he laid her down across one seat before he got in and sat across from her, watching carefully for any sudden change.


	2. Chapter 2

The ride wasn't very long, but to Haruhi, it felt like eternity. Not only was her head throbbing with a stabbing pain, but she was alone with the one and only Shadow King, who had yet to say anything or do anything other than stare at her.

The only reason that she could come up with on why he would be so worried about her was because if she was hurt, she wouldn't be able to have guests, which meant their profit would go down, and he just couldn't have that.

Club profit was something he took personally, and, as everyone could see, he did a fantastic job of maintaining the place (as well as Tamaki in check). They never seemed to run out of money, but, he could have very well blackmailed people for anything he wanted. That was one thing that made Haruhi uneasy; Kyoya had absolutely no problem manipulating people. In fact, more than once had she been on the receiving end of his tricks.

When his driver finally pulled up to the curb of one of the Ootori's large hospitals, Kyoya waited for the door to be opened before sliding out of the car and reaching out for Haruhi again. With a nod to the driver, meaning that he should go park and wait for the two to be finished, they made their way into the hospital.

The older male had a hand wrapped around her and pressed her close to his side. When they got close enough to the glass doors, they automatically slid open, allowing them access to the main reception and waiting area.

The pungent smell of antiseptic carrying throughout the place and the blinding lights were the very first things she noticed. The walls were a sterile white, and the cushions on the couches and chairs were a darker blue color, but looked just as clean as everything else.

Kyoya carefully sat her down in an armchair, closest to the reception desk and said, "I'll be right back, don't move." He swiftly turned around and walked towards the large circular desk that was labeled,

. Haruhi watched him; the bright lights that shone down on his hair made it shine in certain places, making him even more attractive.

Her eyes widened as the thought made its way across her mind. She couldn't possibly find him attractive, could she? Sure, he was a host, and hosts were notorious for their strikingly good looks, but she had never thought that about any of the others. Not even Tamaki, and that really said something, especially since he even had some boys tumbling head over heels for him.

After a very brief conversation with the woman behind the counter, he returned to Haruhi's side with a clipboard and a pen. The raven haired boy sat down next to her, pen ready to write down her answers to the long list of questions that were to come. "Alright Haruhi," he murmured in a rather bored manner. "I need you to answer the questions honestly."

His words made her roll her eyes; she already knew not to lie on medical forms. She wasn't a child, yet he patronized her anyway. It frustrated her on more of a personal level than anything else. Haruhi felt more or less annoyed and hurt, even though she knew that there was no reason to be. Kyoya couldn't, shouldn't, and wasn't anything to her more than a friend. But at the same time, why were so many of her thoughts about him? Why did he happened to be in most of her dreams?

Haruhi sighed and nodded. "I promise," she mumbled and leaned back against the back of the chair, closing her eyes as the bright light hurt her head. The questions, to be honest, weren't all that bad, but she couldn't understand why they would need to know the date of her last period or if she was sexually active if she was only there for a headache.

Headache. Surely that was all this was. It couldn't be anything else, right? She hadn't even hit her head that hard; just a little bump

A bump that caused her to become exceedingly disoriented and made her want to throw up everything she had eaten in the past 24 hours...

Maybe it was just vertigo; in that case wouldn't it be better to just go home and get rest while trying to get your head to stop spinning? Not long after Kyoya had returned the clipboard, a nurse came through the doorway of the waiting room. "Haruhi Fujioka?," she called out, looking up from the clipboard she had gotten from the receptionist.

kyoya was the first out of the two of the to stand up, once he had smoothed out his blazer, he offered a hand to the sixteen year old, which she gratefully took. Once they met up with the nurse, who had an obviously fake smile plastered onto her face, they were led to a station containing a computer, scale, and several machines that were used to take her vitals. Once her height and weight and vitals were taken, Haruhi was moved to a room to wait for the doctor to come in.

Upon the nurse taking her leave, Haruhi asked Kyoya to turn off the lights, to help try and keep her pain level down. Kyoya wasn't the one to take orders from anyone other than his father (with the occasional exception of Tamaki), but the tone of her voice along with the slight whimper that she gave caused him to cave into the request. With a sigh, he walked over to the switches and turned them off.

It was Haruhi's turn to sigh as she visibly relaxed and removed her arm from her face, which she had slung over her eyes to help try and stop the burning pain that the florescent lights brought her. "Thank you," she murmured. To this, Kyoya said nothing.

The raven haired boy sat in the chair beside the bed and pulled his laptop out from his backpack and opened the screen, causing a dull blue glow fall over his face and the wall behind him. "Try and rest before the doctor comes in," he murmured, without even looking her way. Despite the careless feel he gave off, Haruhi did as she was told and turned over onto her side, facing away from him, eyes still closed.

She realized that she must have drifted off at some point because when she opened her eyes again, a doctor was quietly talking to the youngest Ootori boy. Momentarily confused by the setting, Haruhi sat up quickly. The bout of dizziness and shot of pain in her head a good reminder of why she was there.

"Eh, easy," the doctor said, rushing to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Take it easy. Lie back down please, Ms. Fujioka." She complied to the doctor's wishes as Kyoya also stood up and made his way to her bedside as well.

"Haruhi, this is my eldest brother, Yuuichi," Kyoya said, motioning to the man in the laboat who was referring to a clipboard. "He's going to be your doctor."

The fact that the doctor was her senpai's brother made her a bit uneasy.

Yuuichi sat down on his stool and dragged his laptop closer to him. "Alright, Haruhi, can you tell me why you are here?" he asked, looking at the girl curiously.

"I fell and hit my head," she responded in a light tone of voice, feeling out-of-it. "And it hurts and everything is out of focus."

Yuuichi nodded and wrote the description down before glancing back to the first year. "Okay, and when did the accident happen? Was it within the past day?"

"It happened a couple hours ago," she replied. "I was on my way out of my math class and I tripped."

The eldest Ootori child nodded, taking note. "Okay. And you're experiencing a headache, but can you describe to me any other symptoms you may be experiencing?"

"I'm kinda nauseous, and my ears are ringing, and it's hard to find my balance."

"Alright, Haruhi, can I ask you to sit up for a moment, please?"

Haruhi respected the doctor's wishes nonetheless. "Haruhi, I want you to follow my finger only using your eyes, alright?" She nodded slightly, which only caused her more pain. He began the exercise and the girl found it exceedingly hard to follow the directions. Her next set of direction included touching one finger to her nose and then to the tip of Yuuichi's finger tip, followed by a whole set of different cognitive tests involving the pushing and pulling of her arms and legs, moving her eyes, and walking in a straight line.

It's safe to say that she failed nearly every one of these trials.

Haruhi was allowed to lay back down, prompting her to believe that all these questions and tasks were over, but her doctor spoke up once again.

"Okay, Haruhi, I just have one more question and then I believe we can be done, alright?" He didn't even wait for an answer before the question came. "Would you mind telling me what year it is?"

She stared at the white wall opposite her bed for a moment, unable to answer the question. "W-what year is it..." she repeated quietly. "What year..." The brown haired girl looked back up at the doctor and gave him a look of helplessness. "It's um...I think it's...2013? I-I'm sorry..."

Yuuichi nodded before leaning against the wall behind him. "Don't apologize. I do believe that the issue is just a concussion. It will take a while to go away, anywhere from a few days to months. In that time I want you to be resting. Stay away from screens, don't do anything that would be strenuous on your eyes, so no studying or reading for long amounts of time. I will write you a note for you to give to your teachers. I will be right back with a prescription for a painkiller and something for you to take now and for the nausea before you're discharged."

Haruhi nodded and closed her eyes again, thinking about what he had just said. That meant that she couldn't study for classes, which meant there was a possibility of her grades slipping and her being expelled from school. The girl groaned looked over at Kyoya, who was packing up his bag.

A few minutes late, his brother returned with two pills, a small cup of water, and a piece of paper, which he handed to Kyoya. "Here you go Haruhi. Take these and you're free to go. They will make your headache go away, but they are rather strong, they will make you drowsy. Avoid driving if you have your license."

Haruhi gladly accepted the painkiller and antinauseant and downed them without a problem. Upon finishing the rest of the water, she handed the cup back to the oldest Ootori and put her feet the floor, holding onto the edge of the table next to her for support. "Thank you," she said.

"You're very welcome. Come back if your condition worsens or if it doesn't seem to get any better. Take it easy and get plenty of rest," Yuuichi said with a smiled before leading the three of them out the front doors of the hospital.

The ride back to Haruhi's apartment was silent, just like the one before it. Haruhi felt her awareness slipping away with each passing second; everything seemed to be amusing to the honor student, including a pigeon eating the remnants of a piece of food a pedestrian had dropped on the sidewalk. Her laugh caused her companion to raise an eyebrow, though he didn't say anything.

When they arrived at the Fujioka residence, Kyoya helped her out of the limo and onto the sidewalk. He knew that Ranka would be working, so he took it upon himself to get her safely inside. As he took her hand and put a steady hand on her back to guide her up the stairs, she gave him a bewildered look. "S-senpai? What are you doing," she asked him, sounding just as out-of-it as she was.

"I'm helping you to your apartment, Haruhi, calm down, please." He stated in a matter-of-fact manner.

She blinked at him a few times before breaking out in a smile. "Oh," she giggled. "Okay, because I thought that you wanted to hold my hand."

Her words caused the second year student to sigh and shake his head, trying to ignore what she was saying.

As they reached the door, he brought her inside and lead her into her bedroom, where he sat her down on her bed. Haruhi giggled again and tried to hold his hands, but he hastily pulled them away. "Haruhi, please, just lie down and go to sleep. Your father will be home in a few hours."

The girl pouted, but did as she was told.

"Thank you," he sighed, sounding irritated. "Now stay in bed. Try to sleep. Your father should be home at nine. Do not. Get out. Of bed. Now I am going back to my own house. You don't have to come to the club tomorrow. Get lots of rest. I will see you when you are better. Good night Haruhi."

Just as he was walking out of her room he heard the softest whisper coming from the girl. "I love you, senpai. Don't go."

 _It's just the painkillers_ , Kyoya told himself as he closed the door behind him. _She doesn't mean it...Just the painkillers..._


	3. Chapter 3

The sun had been down for hours before Ranka had gotten home from his job. Kyoya had alerted him of his daughter's injury, but he had been unable to leave work early to go to meet them at the hospital. It had been at Ranka's request that Kyoya made sure that his precious daughter, Haruhi, got home and into bed safely without him there. Of course, Kyoya agreed to the terms.

As he stepped into the Fujioka residence, he put his belongings down by the door and walked to the table, where all the mail was usually placed, ready for him to open it. Next to the small pile of bills was the prescription for Haruhi's painkiller. He sighed and picked up the small piece of blue paper and looked at the clock. The pharmacy closest to them was a few blocks down the street and closed at ten on week nights. He knew that if he left then, he would make it in time to fill the prescription for his daughter.

When Ranka finally got back to the apartment, Haruhi was sitting in the kitchen, staring down at one of the bills, which she had opened. "Dad," she said as she turned her head to look at him, sounding concerned. "D-do we have enough money to afford to live here?"

He gave a gentle smile and stroked his daughters hair back. He found the question to be humorous, but he didn't laugh at the sixteen year old's concern. "Don't worry about it, Haruhi. We're perfectly fine. You should go back to bed," Ranka said in a soothing manner.

The brunette girl wiped away the few tears that had spilled over her lashes as she nodded. While she accepted his request of putting herself back in bed, she didn't move from her spot at the kitchen table.

"Oh darling girl," he said softly. "Come on, let's get you settled down, alright?"

Haruhi nodded again, and this time, with the guidance of her father, she walked down the short hallway and into her bedroom. The sixteen year old got into bed and stared up at her with with an expression that Ranka never remembered seeing before. No...he had seen that face, but it hadn't been for a long time, maybe even since around the time of Kotoko's death. Vulnerability was clear in the girl's eyes and features. "Oh Haruhi," the father whispered as he pulled the covers up around the petite girl. "Don't worry about the bills. Just focus on getting better." The transvestite punctuated his words with a kiss to her forehead before turning out the light and making his way to his own bedroom where he sat on his bed, lost in thought.

While yes, Haruhi was his daughter, she was always so independent. She knew how to work for things, and to get things done. Ranka never had to worry about her as there was nothing to worry for. She kept out of trouble, tried her hardest in school, and was a respectable young lady. Some might even call her a perfect kid, if there was such a thing...

The Fujioka man sighed as his eyes drifted over to a picture of his late wife that had been at home on his dresser before closing his eyes.

The next morning, when Haruhi's alarm went off, she sat up in bed and groaned. If she thought her head hurt the previous day, she had another thing coming. Her head throbbed and her eyes hurt whenever she tried to look at anything closely, like her alarm clock. The girl took in a sharp breath as she lowered her head, allowing her brown bangs to fall into her eyes.

As a student who had never missed a day of school in her entire student career, her class attendance in class wasn't optional, no matter how bad the pain was.

Taking a deep breath in, she put her feet to the floor, only to find that the entire world had transformed into one, giant tilt-a-whirl over night. Before she could even make one step towards her door, she was back on the bed, holding her head in her hands as she willed the spinning to stop before she got sick and school became entirely out of the question. If she could just try to ignore it for at least a few hours, then the day would be counted and her record of perfected attendance would be untouched. This time, when she tried to stand up, the girl forced herself to the kitchen before she had to sit down. It was then that she had to make the decision. Did she suck it up and force herself to make it through the day? Or did she stay home in bed and shock everyone with her absence?

With a sigh she weighed her options. If she were to go to class, there was the possibility of her not making it through the day and having to call her father, who was scheduled to be at work until seven that evening, to come and get her, or to request that one of the other hosts skip their lessons and bring her home. Though, if she didn't go, she would have work to make up, which Yuiichi had told her not to stress over or focus on. Then again, he had written a doctor's note excusing her from her class work for however long this injury was going to last.

It took the brown eyed girl a few moments of long, hard (and painful) consideration before she called for her father.

"Dad," she managed to get out. Her throat burned like fire as she spoke.

Even though her tone was soft, Ranka had somehow managed to hear his daughter and had stumbled out of his room. "Haruhi," he cried out, still half asleep. "Whatever it is, Daddy will save you!"

His loud voice caused the Fujioka girl to wince. "Dad, stop yelling," she whimpered, covering her ears almost as a child did when they were dragged to a firework show even though they were afraid of loud noises. The pained tone caught the attention of the father and somehow woke the rest of him, causing him to open his eyes. The sight of his daughter, whose brown hair was messy from sleep and eyes were clenched tightly closed as she tried to will the pain to go away, caused his once surprised expression to fall into one of sympathy.

"I'm sorry, baby girl," he said, lowering his voice, feeling ashamed of having reacted so stupidly. "I didn't mean to make it worse, I promise. I would never do that to you. Can I help you with anything? Make breakfast? How about I pack you a lunch while you get ready for school?"

As her father's voice dropped to a softer tone, she cautiously removed her hands from her ears and looked up. The sight of his disheveled looking daughter broke Ranka's heart.

"I'm not going," Haruhi whispered.

At first, he wasn't quite sure he had heard her correctly, but then her words had sunk in. With eyes widened, he said, "What?"

"I'm not going to school today," she repeated, slightly louder this time around. "I don't think I will be able to make it through the day without asking to come home. Can you...Can you please call the school?"

Trying to act as if her words didn't shock him, Ranka nodded. "Absolutely," he agreed, nodding a bit, causing his tangled, long, red hair to bounce as he did so.

"Thank you," the girl murmured. "I think I am going to go back to bed now." With that, she got up from her spot and slowly made her way back to her room with Ranka watching her, standing

frozen in place.

As she put herself back into her bed and curled up on her side, Haruhi grabbed for her cell phone, which had been charging on her nightstand.

_**To: Kaoru Hitatchiin** _

_**Hey Kaoru. I won't be in class today. Tell Hikaru I'm sorry and Tamaki-senpai not to worry.** _


	4. Chapter 4

The younger Hitatchiin twin perked up when he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. It was barely seven o'clock. There must have been a reason for such an early message. As he took the phone from his pant's pocket, he silently hoped that nothing bad had happened, especially to Haruhi. He knew how much the girl meant to his brother and he would do anything for Hikaru, so if that meant suppressing his owns feelings so his twin would be happy, then so be it.

_**New Message From: Haruhi Fujioka** _

Just reading those words caused a bit of worry to start developing, causing a sick feeling of dread to lodge itself in his stomach. Kaoru could see it now. Something horrible must have happened; Haruhi rarely ever texted anyone from the club, and when she did, she was never the person to start the conversation. Whatever she had to say must have been bad. _She's dying. I know it_ , he told himself in complete despair, though he knew deep down inside that he was being melodramatic.

Pressing the 'Read Text' option on his phone, he read the actual message.

_**Hey Kaoru. I won't be in class today. Tell Hikaru I'm sorry and Tamaki not to worry.** _

Even though he knew his anxiety was pointless and completely uncalled for, the amber eyed boy breathed a sigh of relief. Haruhi wasn't hurt. Good. He wasn't sure how he and Hikaru would go about life without their toy by their side, much less the only person who could actually tell them apart without any difficulty. Haruhi couldn't break that barrier and just leave them to build it back up, except this time ten times as strong. Then there would be no hope for anyone.

Kaoru was broken from his thoughts as his brother came up behind him, peering over his shoulder and at the screen on his cell phone. "Our toy won't be at school?" he asked in a whining tone. He sounded like a child complain to their parents about not getting what they wanted. Kaoru sighed.

"I guess not," he shrugged. "Oh well, guess we'll just have to mess with Tono."

Hikaru grinned devilishly. The look would be enough to unsettle anyone who didn't spend the amount of time that Kaoru did with him. He just laughed. "Well, let's go before we're late."

After a fifteen minute ride via limousine, the two Hitatchiin boys walked through the main doors of Ouran Academy practically joined together at the hip. Of course, their closeness caused their fan base to melt in their affection of the duo. Because the reaction was so common, the twins paid no attention to the fangirl, even though they were giggling, whispering, pointing, and even a few of them, screaming out for the twins to kiss.

As if...While the two were very close, they weren't incestuous. There would be no kissing, despite the fans constant begging.

That morning, instead of going to the library, where they would normally meet their fellow first year host, they made their way to the club room, where they had requested Tamaki, Kyoya, Takashi, and Mitskuni to meet them. As expected, all of them were already there.

The Host Club king picked his head up as he heard the heavy set of double doors open and close, hoping to see his precious "daughter" to walk into the room. Obviously, however, she was still home in bed. His face fell when he realized that it was just "those shady twins" and not his "secret princess".

"We have a problem," the red haired twins chorused as they danced their way across the room to where the other club members were standing. "Haruhi's not coming today."

Tamaki nearly went into shock as the words left their mouths. His darling daughter not in school? He just couldn't have it! "W-what!" the blond exclaimed. "What do you mean she's not coming?! She has to be here!"

It was the vice-president's turn to talk. "What they mean is that Haruhi is taking the day off to rest, Tamaki," he explained in a rather bored fashion. "I took her to see my brother Yuiichi yesterday. Haruhi has a concussion and she should be taking things easy for now until she gets better."

"Is Haru-chan going to be alright?" a certain blond haired cake lover asked in his sweet voice, which was full of concern.

"She'll be fine, but she just needs to relax. Yuiichi said that she wasn't allowed to read too much. I'm sure that she'll return on Monday, but for right now the best thing that we can do is give her some space."

Of course, the last of his words were completely lost on his best friend. "That does it! Men, we are going to Haruhi's house!"

The proposition made Kyoya roll his eyes, but as he was about to interject, the rest of the Host Club gave a collective and enthusiastic sounding, "Yeah!" And so the six members were soon in the Hitatchiin limo on their way to Haruhi's house.

The sixteen year old girl woke up when she heard the sound of car doors slamming shut and feet racing up the stairs of the apartment building, only to stop when they reached the front door of the Fujioka residence. Instinctively, she reached for her cell phone, preparing herself to call the police if needed.

Outside her door stood her friends. As soon as they reached Haruhi's apartment, Tamaki had attempted to open the door, only to find it locked. Tamaki immediately felt rejected.

"Mommy!" He cried, turning towards Kyoya. "The door is locked! Haruhi doesn't want us here! My precious, darling daughter doesn't love me! What do I do, Kyoya, fix it!"

The black haired second year sighed, debating whether or not to unlock the door for them using the key that Ranka had given him to use in the case of emergencies such as the events that had happened the previous day. If he did, Tamaki would surely drag him to the Fujioka residence more often, knowing he could get in regardless of his wanted presence or not, but if he didn't, he would have to be the one to consul his sulking friend on the ride back to school. Not only that, but he would have to explain to their teachers why they were late. He didn't think that they would take the fact that they went to try and take care of the underclass host as an acceptable answer.

"Alright, alright," he said, searching his pockets for the spare key. "But I won't let you pin this all

on me, Tamaki. If she yells at you, it's your own damn fault."

"Okay, fine! Thank you, _mon ami!_ " He exclaimed, eyes no longer fostering the total desperation he was previously showing. "Thank you!"

Once Kyoya found the key, he regretted ever taking it. Haruhi would surely be beyond angered at him for abusing the power. As he stuck they key in the lock, but before twisting it, Kyoya muttered, "Forgive me, Haruhi."

As the door swung open, the twins and Tamaki rushed into the seemingly unoccupied apartment. Honey had tried to join the trio, but his cousin had held him back despite his pouting and whining.

Haruhi was sitting on her bed, hair a mess and pajama top hanging off one shoulder, utterly confused as to what was going on on the other side of her bedroom door. She was pretty sure that there were people in her apartment, but the voices that belonged to the unknown figures sounded like her friends, and there was no way that they would...skip...school...

The girl groaned as she fell back against her pillow. One day. She needed _one day_ to herself that was dedicated to rest and relaxation to recover from her fall and the hospital trip, but those idiots couldn't even give her that! She swore to herself, saying that she would personally kill all of them. Hoping that they didn't go come into her room, she closed her eyes, trying to relax before she started screaming, which would no doubt worsen the situation.

The girl got out of bed and slowly made her way to the door, taking a breath and a moment to run her fingers through her hair. The last thing that she needed was to be ridiculed by the Hitatchiin brothers over how she looked when she just got out of bed.

When she emerged from her bedroom with her arms crossed over her chest, everything seemed to stop.

The Host Club boys stopped and stared at Haruhi, and she stared right back. "What are you guys doing here? Don't you need to be at school? Especially you, Tamaki-senpai. What you your father do if he found out that you were cutting class?"

In response to her words, the blond boy blushed. "But Haruhi," he said, his eyes soft like a puppy's. Tamaki was so eager to please...

"We just wanted to come make sure that you were okay. We got worried when you weren't in school! Is my darling daughter alright? Are you dying? Do you have a fever?"

Haruhi flinched as the boy rushed towards her. Thankfully, Takashi was there to save her by putting a hand on the Host Club founder's shoulder and pulling him back to his side.

"Hey!" the boy shouted, struggling to get free from the Kendo champion's grasp. "Let me go, Mori-senpai!"

Haruhi winced at the loudness of Tamaki's words. "Tamaki-senpai-," she started, only to be cut off by the twins.

"Boss you might want to keep it down," Kaoru said, his older brother standing on the other side of Haruhi.

"Yeah, if you didn't notice," continued Hikaru.

Together they smirked. "You just hurt Haruhi," they chorused.

The effect on their elder was immediate. "WHAT!?" He shouted, causing Haruhi even more pain. "I hurt Haruhi! Daughter speak to me! Did Daddy hurt you? I-"

This time, it was the girl's turn to cut him off. "Senpai! Stop it, please, you're just making my headache worse," she said, causing the half French host to become upset with himself. The twins gave each other a self-congratulatory high-five, causing their fellow first year to give them a disapproving look as well. "You guys are no better, stop setting Tamaki-senpai off like that. The doctor said that I should relax and stay away from certain things, and you guys are definitely making it hard to relax. Please, just...Just go back to school."

Four out of the six male member's sagged their shoulders. "Yes, Haruhi," they mumbled, causing the girl to take a deep breath.

"Thank you," she sighed and turned around to head back to her room as the hosts made their way to the limousine. After the door closed behind them, the sound of a backpack being set down caused her to turn around. To her surprise Kyoya was in the kitchen, reading a handwritten note that she hadn't realized was there.

"Senpai, what are you doing," she asked quietly, grabbing the attention of the Ootori boy.

"Huh? Oh, your father asked me to check in on you this morning when I talked to him on the phone," he explained. "And since I'm already here I think it would be a waste of time to have to come back later on. Now, have you taken the medication my brother prescribed?"

"But school..." the girl protested. "Senpai, you can't miss school because of me. I would feel bad."

"School can be made up, Haruhi, now if you would please answer my question," he said before repeating it. "Have you taken the medication?"

"N-no," she said quietly, moving a few steps towards him.

"Alright then. Go lie down, I'll bring it to you in a minute."

This time when he spoke, she did as he said without any argument.

"Yes, senpai," she murmured.


	5. Chapter 5

Haruhi made her way back to her room, thinking to herself about how strange it would be to have her senpai take care of her.

Sure his family ran a hospital, but he seemed so cold and unforgiving…There couldn't possibly be something in this for him to make him want to volunteer his time. After she pulled the covers back over her body, she realized that she was forgetting who exactly Kyoya was.

This was the same boy who had stopped a woman from buying a cheap knock-off of a vase at a mall. This was the boy who managed the Host Club so that his best friend could be happy. This was the same boy that worked tirelessly to become the heir to the Ootori medical empire that everyone was sure would go to his brothers.

When Kyoya was set on something, he got work done to meet his goal. However, the one thing that was troubling Haruhi was why he had made taking care of her his top priority. Surely his father wouldn't approve of such a thing.

Haruhi was a commoner, and she knew that by spending time with her could affect Kyoya's life at home. The brown haired girl sighed as she checked her phone for the time. It was barely eight o'clock and she was already exhausted.

When Kyoya came into the room with a cup of tea and the bottle of painkillers, the girl looked up at him and smiled weakly as she took the steaming mug first, and then the pills.

"Thank you, senpai," she murmured placing two of the white capsules on her tongue before washing them down with the steaming, dark liquid. It burned as it went down, but Haruhi didn't really mind. As long as it got her headache to go away...

The girl was so consumed by her thoughts that she almost hadn't heard her companion reply.

"It's really no problem," the Ootori boy said, pushing up his glasses before taking the mug of tea back from the girl and placing it on her nightstand. "It will take a while before it goes into effect, so just lie down and take it easy for a while."

Haruhi gave her friend an awkward smile and leaned back against her pillows so that she was in a sitting position, making it easier to finish the rest of her tea without spilling it all over herself and on her bed. She gave him a sideways glance. He was staring out her window, which overlooked the busy street below. She was briefly amused that he was content with doing something so simple. It was the first time he had really seemed human.

"You really don't have to stay with me, senpai," the girl whispered, pulling him out of his own mind. "I can take care of myself."

Kyoya turned his attention back to the girl and gave a miserable excuse for a laugh. It came out breathy and light; it sounded like he had just exhaled too quickly or too much. "I beg to differ. You proved yesterday that you couldn't even get yourself inside" he answered, sounding indifferent, leaning against the door. "Besides, even if I wanted to leave, your father asked me to check on you later today, and seeing as I am already here, I find it rather pointless for me to leave and then come back.."

Haruhi nodded her head a bit in understanding, already starting to feel tired. Yuuichi had said drowsiness would be a side effect of the medication, so she wasn't exactly sure why it surprised her so much. Maybe it was because of how quickly it came on. "What will you do when you are here then?" she asked, genuinely curious, yet still trying to kill time until the medication fully took over.

"I have some club related things to look over," he said simply, shrugging as he did. He could tell that she was growing more and more tired by the second. "I may study some things as well. I guess I should get to that."

The first year student shrugged lazily, slipping away. "Okay," she whispered, closing her eyes and relaxing against her pillows.

With a slight smile, Kyoya turned away, making his way out of the room. "Call me if you need anything," he instructed, closing her bedroom door behind him. He made his way to the kitchen, where his backpack still sat, the floor creaking slightly underfoot. Slowly and silently the black haired boy took his laptop and black notebook out of his bag and settled down at the table, beginning his work, becoming so involved in it that he hadn't noticed that several hours had passed him by.

At one o'clock, Kyoya was snapped out of his daze when he heard Haruhi's weak voice calling out for him. " Senpai," she said again, finally getting him to look up. The girl stood in the doorway of the kitchen wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt. Her face was still pale, but she looked better in a way. Maybe it was because she looked well rested.

"Huh? Oh...Yes Haruhi?" he asked, blaming his lack of normal composure on the fact that she had managed to surprise him. To try and collect himself, he pushed up his glasses and closed his notebook.

"I was going to make some lunch, but I realized that I didn't go to the store today," she said quietly, still trying to be careful of her headache. "so I was going to go after I got ready. Is there anything that you would want me to make specifically?"

It took the Ootori boy a while to respond to her as he had to think about what she had reported. Haruhi planned on going shopping while on that medication? Not only the medication, but while she was still concussed? Surely he couldn't let her go through with such a plan, not because he was a host, but because his family's background in the medical field. What justice would that bring him or his family? "I'll go," he said, without really realizing that he had. "You just go back to bed. What do you need?"

Haruhi blinked, a bit surprised that he had volunteered for the task. Somehow, she couldn't picture her elder doing shopping of any kind, even if it were for the club. "A-are you sure," she asked, a bit dumbfounded, which was the cause of her stuttering. "I think...I think I can do it. Really, it won't take more than five minutes."

With a sigh, he nodded and began to shut down his computer. "I am more than capable of doing something so simple as grocery shopping. What do you need? Anything in particular?"

"There's a list on the counter," the brown haired girl said, motioning to the kitchen behind her.

"Alright. You can go back to bed. I will tell you when I get back, alright? I won't take long." The way Kyoya spoke bothered her. It was almost as if he were dismissing her as he would a maid. She would have spoken up about it if he hadn't already been halfway out the door.

"Hey-," she interjected, only to be cut off but the sound of the door slamming shut behind him. Haruhi sighed and wandered back to her room, falling back onto her bed, waiting for Kyoya to return.


	6. Chapter 6

Much to Kyoya's surprise, a commoner's supermarket was rather unorganized.

Sure, the aisles were labeled, but people were everywhere, searching for whatever it was they were there for. Small children ran up and down aisles and infants screamed in their seats. He could see mothers trying to calm down their children and others going about their daily shopping, but it didn't really matter what anyone was doing, as they all got on his nerves.

For a moment, he contemplated just going back to the Fujioka's residence, but determined that since it was his job to take care of Haruhi, he should carry through with his promise.

Meanwhile, Haruhi had gotten out of her bed and wandered into the kitchen, deciding that she would find something to snack on while she waited for him to return with the groceries. Walking across the room to the cabinets, she caught sight of Kyoys'a infamous black book sitting out in the open and completely unguarded. A small, devilish smile came across her face as she realized that she could take that moment to read whatever it was he wrote in there.

Something pushed her towards the notebook and when she reached the table, her legs stopped moving. There was no way Haruhi could look inside, and she knew that. No matter how curious she was about whatever it was he scribbled down all day, she would feel as if she invaded Kyoya's privacy.

With a sigh she stepped away from the table and wandered to their living room, where she flopped down on the couch. The girl was bored out of her mind, and that is what she blamed her sudden mischievousness on. What was she supposed to do if the doctor said no reading? She wasn't supposed to look at screens for too long, so that put an end to any thoughts about watching a movie or two. Haruhi sighed and stared out the window.

Back at the grocery store, Kyoya was still trying to find all the items on the list. Wandering up and down the aisles, he grabbed things as he saw them, though he had already been through this process twice, and there were still a few things missing.

On his journey around the store, he saw several people stop employees to ask for help, but there was no way that he, an Ootori, could ask anyone for assistance, especially a commoner. But..how would he ever get back to Haruhi's apartment at a reasonable time if he couldn't find everything he needed. And he couldn't just say that the necessary items weren't available because she knew what the store carried.

Kyoya let out a frustrated sigh, wishing that he had gone back to school with the rest of the club. He realized, though, that if he hadn't been there, Haruhi would have ended up going to the store by herself, where something could have happened to her. A brief feeling of worry washed over him, but he forced it away, unsure of why he cared so much about a hypothetical situation.

"Damn it," he hissed to himself as he continued looking for the various items. "How can commoners deal with this?"

A young looking woman with brown hair, and an infant child sitting in the cart seemed to have him speak because she turned to him. Kyoya quickly took in all features of her face; the tired look in her eyes, her kind smile, her nose which was red at the tip, looking almost like it would as if she had used a tissue too often. The woman gave him a sympathetic look. "Are you lost, hun?" She questioned. He could tell that she hadn't heard his words.

Kyoya tried not to be annoyed at the patronizing tone that the woman was using, but seeing as she couldn't have been very far into her twenties, and was much shorter than him, it was hard to do. No one ever dared to address an Ootori in such a way...Maybe she didn't know who he was.

Giving the possibility more thought, he realized that he was still in his school uniform, which had the Ouran Academy logo on the blazer. Surely she must have known that no commoner, with the exception of Haruhi Fujioka of course, attended such a prestigious school. But he was in a commoner's supermarket. Kyoya was conflicted. Did he just let it slide and forget her words, just as she had done with Haruhi's the previous night? Or did he point out that she couldn't have been much older than him and express his annoyance?

The youngest Ootori sighed and gave the woman a forced smile. "No, I am just trying to find a few things, that's all," he said, trying not to sound too harsh. She was only trying to be helpful, after all.

The woman, whose name Kyoya still did not know, seemed to accept this as she just nodded and walked away. He couldn't help but think that the woman's actions were a bit strange, but he pushed the thoughts away. There were more important things to worry about than a complete stranger.

Kyoya ended up finishing the shopping about ten minutes later and headed to the check-out lanes. Unfortunately, the lines were rather long, and he had things to do, so instead of waiting for it to be his turn, he simply made his way over to the self check-out, where there were several open. Why anyone would rather have to deal with people than to just pay for your own groceries and be out of there without having to deal with teenagers and older men and women who worked during the days was something he just couldn't understand...

Until the thing started telling him that he had to place the items in the "bagging station" and counting different items multiple times. After an extra fifteen minutes of pure frustration, he was finally able to figure the thing out. Even though he seriously debated just leaving the bags of groceries on the counter, he knew that the entire "mission" would be a failure if he did so. Not only would he feel useless, but it would also force Haruhi to go out and get them herself.

The Ootori boy dragged himself out of the store feeling ready to kill whatever living thing crossed his path. He glared down at his feet as the plastic bags containing the food his his legs while he made the trek back to the Fujioka residence. How could commoner's come up with such an unorganized and frustrating place such as a grocery store? Not only that, but he was ready to destroy the next self check-out machine he saw. Now he understood why his family always sent out maids or butlers to to the shopping.

When he opened the door to the apartment, he expected to see Haruhi sitting at the table, studying. The very thought made him smile slightly, breaking him from his foul mood, but only momentarily. His anger returned the second he realized that his notebook had been touched. Even though it had only moved a few inches, he couldn't ignore it. What he wrote in there wasn't anyone's business; especially not Haruhi's.

Kyoya put the grocery bags down on the table and made his way down the hallway to Haruhi's bedroom, only to stop short. The girl wasn't in her bed, but on the sofa in the livingroom. Her face looked peaceful in sleep, almost like she wasn't bothered at all by her raging headache.

Instead of waking her up to interrogate her about the notebook, as he originally planned on doing, Kyoya let her sleep, leaving her on the couch while he went to put away the groceries.


	7. Chapter 7

Haruhi woke up not long after Kyoya arrived back at the apartment. She felt confused as her eyes blink open, only to realize that she had fallen asleep on the couch. With a sigh, the girl ran a hand through her hair, not really wanting to get up, but she needed ibuprofen and to go grocery shopping.

Grocery shopping, Haruhi thought. It was then her eyes opened fully and she remembered that Kyoya had gone out with the shopping list. His presence was confirmed when a crash and a

"Damn it," came from the kitchen.

She couldn't help but smile at her friend's exclamation even though she knew that she shouldn't. Slowly, Haruhi put her feet to the floor and brushed her bangs away from her eyes, making a mental note to cut it some time soon before it got bothersome. When she moved through the hallway to the kitchen to find Kyoya surrounded by the pieces of a broken bowl. His flustered look was something that she hadn't expected, as he was always so calm, cool, and collected. Could he really be so upset over something as silly as a bowl?

She grabbed the broom from a closet and went to put her shoes on so that the shards of ceramic wouldn't hurt her feet. One hospital trip was enough for the week. And she certainly didn't want to go back to the emergency room with Kyoya. Not that he wasn't much help, because he was, but because it was embarrassing to her. It made her feel small to have someone take care of her like that, mostly because she had always been so independent.

"Don't move," Haruhi instructed with a tone of authority. The dark haired boy looked up from the mess at his feet and to the girl; it was his turn to be embarrassed.

Of course, he didn't show it, but he felt completely humiliated. He wasn't exactly sure why though. After all, it was only Haruhi, but then...Maybe it was because it was Haruhi who had come to clean it up, but that didn't make much sense either. Why should he care about what she thought? She was only a commoner, so what did it matter?

No matter what he told himself, Kyoya didn't feel much better about the situation. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more upset he became. The Ootori became frustrated, not just with himself, either. Why did Haruhi have to speak to him in such a way? What gave her the right? He was older than her, too!

He let out a sigh, trying to calm down. Of course Kyoya knew that he was greatly over thinking the whole situation and that Haruhi was only trying to help out. It was her apartment, after all. He should be so sensitive.

Haruhi first picked up the larger pieces of the broken bowl and put them directly into the trash barrel, which she had dragged over to the scene. She then began to sweep up the much small pieces, working in a quick manner. It showed that she was slightly annoyed, but what didn't show was her slight amusement at the whole situation.

When the mess was cleaned up, she sighed and put the broom away and then returned to the kitchen, a slight smile on her face as she saw Kyoya with a bowl of cherries sitting at the table. She didn't remember putting them on the list, and she was sure that they weren't in the fridge earlier. Maybe it should have bothered her that he had used the leftover money to buy them rather than giving it back, but Haruhi really couldn't bring herself to care.

She went to the sink to grab a glass of water before turning to a cabinet next to it, which housed all medications in the house. In the front was the ibuprofen. Haruhi grabbed the large, white bottle, twisted the cap, and took two, washing them down with the water she had poured herself just a moment earlier. For a second, she debated taking her painkillers, but she decided against it, as she was taking the ibuprofen and that she had taken them only a few hours ago. The girl

put the bottles away and went to join Kyoya at the table.

She offered a smile as she took a cherry and sat down across from him. For some reason, he only glared at her. Haruhi felt an unsettling chill run through her body as she looked down. His black notebook sat between them, and her sudden curiosity of what it contained came back, but she knew she couldn't pick it up. Especially not with him sitting right there. Instead, she looked back up and said, "Here's your no-"

Kyoya cut her off and grabbed it with an urgency that she had never seen from him before. "Don't touch it," he said firmly. "Don't touch it ever again. Do I make myself clear, Haruhi?"

Again? the girl thought. She had never touched it. He should know that Haruhi was not the type of person who would just go rummaging through another person's belongs, especially not his black book. "Senpai, I never touched your notebook," the girl said in an even tone, not understanding why he was so upset with her. His anger was so out of the blue it startled her. It

was unlike Kyoya to act in such a way.

"Oh, really? Is that so? Because I walked into the kitchen and my notebook was not where I left it," he said, trying to keep his composure, but she could tell that this was really bothering him.

She continued to look at him, feeling speechless. How could he just accuse her of going through his belongings without any evidence of her doing so? Even if he wanted to know if she had read anything from it, he should have just asked instead of staring her down and out right accusing her. "Senpai, I just told you that I didn't read it. I may have touched-"

Again, she was cut off mid sentence. "So you admit to touching my belongings? Good, this saves us a lot of trouble, now just promise me that you will never touch it again. Going through another person's personal belongings is something I would suspect the twins of doing, but you?"

The flabbergasted first year looked at him like he had two heads. He was going overboard, and even he should have been able to see that. "Fine," she said, voice wavering the slightest bit. "I won't touch your stuff."

"Good," Kyoya said, packing up his computer and textbooks. Haruhi assumed he had been studying while she was asleep. "Now I am leaving. Call me if there is an emergency."

As he got up from the table, notebook in hand, he made his way for the door. "Wait!" she cried out, trying not to sound too desperate, but there was something that she needed to know.

"What is it, Haruhi?" Kyoya asked, sounding a bit more than just annoyed.

If she was going to ask, now was the time to do it. "What do you even have in there?" she asked, sounding a bit unsure of herself.

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with."

And with that, Kyoya walked out the door, sincerely hoping she hadn't read it, and if she had, that she hadn't read anything he had written about her.


	8. Chapter 8

Haruhi didn't go to school that Wednesday, or for the rest of the week. Instead, she spent her time in bed, trying to get a hold of herself while she was on whatever it was that Yuiichi had given her. Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to go back to school, she was afraid that she would say something that would give away her true identity as a female.

Of course, staying home also caused her a certain level of boredom and insanity. she knew though, that it wasn't because she was missing classes, but because she missed the Host Club and their crazy antics. It surprised her that she would start to miss them all so soon, especially since she was always trying to get her own space.

That Saturday, Haruhi decided that she was well enough to finally get up out of bed to go and try to run some errands. As she walked out of her room that morning, already dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a pale yellow shirt, Ranka looked at his daughter and tried not to look too surprised.

"Are you going somewhere?" the man asked, turning his attention back to the breakfast he was preparing for the two of them.

The sixteen year old took a seat at the table and nodded. "I think I am going to try and run some errands," she answered. "I feel better today than I have the entire week."

At that particular piece of news, Ranka smiled to himself. No parent ever wanted their child to feel any pain, so when he went to check in on his daughter only to find that she was curled up on her side, holding her head as she willed it to stop hurting, he would brokenheartedly run to grab the medication that she was given. But watching her become either borderline delusional or fall into the deepest sleep he had ever seen didn't provide him with much comfort either.

"Good," he said, bringing her a plate of eggs. "But don't push yourself, Haruhi. You may feel alright at the moment, but I don't want you to have to go back in because you over-exerted yourself."

Her father's concern caused a light smile to appear on Haruhi's face. She loved her father dearly, and even though she had always been so self-reliant, it was nice to know that he never stopped worrying about her. "I won't, Dad," she reassured him. "I promise."

Breakfast passed them both by quickly, and soon, Haruhi was out walking through the park, wandering around aimlessly before she actually had to begin her shopping. A soft breeze floated through the trees around her and gently blew the pieces of her hair that weren't secured by a clip back. If anything could be called perfect, she believed it would be that day.

Kicking a small stone along the pathway, she sighed in content. Birds were accompanied by rustling leaves as they sang their summer-y songs. Clouds were constantly passing over the sun, preventing her from getting too hot. Everything was just so, so nice.

Until she heard a certain voice call out her name not 100 feet behind her. Tamaki.

"Haruhi!" he cried out once more. It was then that she turned around to see him running towards her, being trailed by the rest of the hosts, including an angry looking Kyoya. She couldn't even begin to imagine how he had managed to get him out of bed so early, and to be honest, she didn't really care to find out, but that was mostly because she would have to speak to the youngest Ootori.

The two hadn't spoken since the Tuesday when he had accused her of reading through his notebook, and even though she knew it was pointless to hold a grudge (especially against someone like Kyoya), it had bothered her greatly. He should have been able to tell that she was telling him the truth; maybe he had chosen to ignore it instead. Maybe he was trying to pick a fight with her, but that didn't make much sense. Her senpai was in no way like that.

 _People do strange things when they're in love, Haruhi_ , a voice floated through her mind. Her mother's. It had been her answer to when she asked about a newspaper headline when she was very young. Something about a man killing a woman's boyfriend so that she would "have no choice but to be with him". Years ago, she had accepted the answer, but it was only until she had gotten older that she realized how sadistic and cruel it was. She didn't even think that was love.

Haruhi nearly choked when she thought of those words. There was no way that Kyoya could ever like her. Not even in a dream. He was simply too involved with people in his own social class to even do more than acknowledge her existence.

Not that she wanted more from him. She was perfectly fine with being friends, or so she tried to tell herself. She wasn't exactly sure why the words were so hard to come up with. There was no way they could ever be together, even if they tried to be something more. There was just no way.

As the six other hosts came closer, Haruhi greeted them with a smile. "Oh, hey guys."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this chapter is so short, or if it seems a bit rushed at the end. I am about to leave for vacation and I just got over having the Flu.  
> But, that is no excuse. I'm sorry.  
> I hope you all enjoyed it nonetheless.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my friend Edith (hobbits-elfboots-and-trenchcoats on Tumblr) for helping me when I got stuck at the end.

 

Kicking a small stone along the pathway, she sighed in content. Birds were accompanied by rustling leaves as they sang their summer-y songs. Clouds were constantly passing over the sun, preventing her from getting too hot. Everything was just so, so nice.

Until she heard a certain voice call out her name not 100 feet behind her. Tamaki.

"Haruhi!" he cried out once more. It was then that she turned around to see him running towards her, being trailed by the rest of the hosts, including an angry looking Kyoya. She couldn't even begin to imagine how he had managed to get him out of bed so early, and to be honest, she didn't really care to find out, but that was mostly because she would have to speak to the youngest Ootori.

The two hadn't spoken since the Tuesday when he had accused her of reading through his notebook, and even though she knew it was pointless to hold a grudge (especially against someone like Kyoya), it had bothered her greatly. He should have been able to tell that she was telling him the truth; maybe he had chosen to ignore it instead. Maybe he was trying to pick a fight with her, but that didn't make much sense. Her senpai was in no way like that.

 _People do strange things when they're in love, Haruhi_ , a voice floated through her mind. Her mother's. It had been her answer to when she asked about a newspaper headline when she was very young. Something about a man killing a woman's boyfriend so that she would "have no choice but to be with him". Years ago, she had accepted the answer, but it was only until she had gotten older that she realized how sadistic and cruel it was. She didn't even think that was love.

Haruhi nearly choked when she thought of those words. There was no way that Kyoya could ever like her. Not even in a dream. He was simply too involved with people in his own social class to even do more than acknowledge her existence.

Not that she wanted more from him. She was perfectly fine with being friends, or so she tried to tell herself. She wasn't exactly sure why the words were so hard to come up with. There was no way they could ever be together, even if they tried to be something more. There was just no way.

As the six other hosts came closer, Haruhi greeted them with a smile. "Oh, hey guys."

"Are you feeling better yet, Haruhi?" Kaoru asked coming right up beside her. The auburn haired boy was soon joined by his twin.

"We missed having our toy with us at school," added Hikaru, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

The girl wanted to just push him away, as she wasn't quite ready to have her space invaded yet. Sure she was feeling much better than she had a few days ago, but she was nowhere near being a hundred percent better. To be honest, she wasn't sure she would feel that good for a long time.

"I feel a lot better than I did on Monday," she started, carefully unwrapping herself from her classmate's embrace. "But I'm not entirely better yet."

Thankfully, Hikaru didn't seem to mind her separating herself from him. Instead, he took his place next to his brother, staring at the brunette, just like everyone else. Correction: everyone _but_ Kyoya.

The Ootori's gaze was fixated on some point in the distance, which was a bit out of character for him, but she didn't question it, mostly because she didn't want to even think about her senpai at the moment. His accusatory words from Tuesday still made her upset at him, even though she shouldn't care about them too much.

As long as she knew that she hadn't read anything from his journal, then what did it matter? The fact that Kyoya didn't believe her shouldn't mean anything.

 _I don't need his approval_ , she assured herself as she turn her attention back to her group of friends.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" Haruhi asked to no one in particular.

 

**Honey was the first to answer. "We wanted to come see you, Haru-chan!" he said in his sweet and childish voice. "We went to your house first, but your dad said that you went out to run some errands, right Takashi?"**

"Mhm," his cousin hummed in response to being dragged into the conversation.

Tamaki was the next to speak up. "I wanted to spend time with my daughter!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around her. "I haven't seen you in so long!"

Of course he would over exaggerate her absence.

"Senpai, I saw you on Tuesday," she said, trying to get her blond friend off of her. "I wasn't gone for all that long. Besides, I needed to rest. Kyoya-senpai's brother even said so."

At the mention of his name, the vice president looked over at the girl. His gray eyes burned holes into her flesh. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks as she waited desperately for someone else to speak, taking the attention off of her.

While she was happy to have someone else speak, she was not so grateful to hear the voice of Kyoya break the deafening silence. "I already explained this to you multiple time, Tamaki," he said in a slightly agitated voice. He was obviously fed up with his friend saying such things. "Haruhi needed to rest for a while or else it would have taken much longer for her to get back to the Host Club."

From the way he said it, Haruhi knew that she would be cleaning the club room for weeks to try to make up for their loss of profit while she took time off from school and club activities. It took everything that she had to keep from groaning or wincing. Returning to school was something that she was eager to do, but now, she dreaded this coming Monday.

"I should be back on Monday, Senpai," she said, directing this at Tamaki, but, unfortunately, Kyoya was the one to reply.

"Good, I am sure that your guests will be looking forward to having your company again," he said. HIs tone was cold enough to send chills down the girl's spine.

"We will be happy to have you back, too, Haru-chan!" Honey exclaimed. "Maybe we can all have cake together!"

His bright attitude made her feel slightly better. A laugh and smile made their way to her mouth and she said, "I would like that, Senpai."

"We can help you catch up on the work you missed," the twins chorused. Their offer was sincere, but it was laughable. There was no way that she would be able to study with the two of them. Maybe if it were just one of them, but both? She might as well just not do the work at all.

"Thanks guys; that's really nice of you to offer, but I think I will just ask our teachers for help if I need it, but I will definitely keep you two in mind if I have any questions," Haruhi said, still smiling. In the back of her mind, though, she knew that she wouldn't need their help. Their offer was still sweet, nonetheless.

"Hey guys," Haruhi said, suddenly remembering why she had left the house to begin with. "I have to run some errands, but you are welcome to come with me if you want."

A chorus of agreements came from everyone but one person: Kyoya.

"Alright," she said. "You guys lead the way."

With that, everyone started to move down the walkway towards the grocery store. Having got a few moments down the path, a certain black haired boy sped up a bit, trying to get to the front of the group. Haruhi probably wouldn't have noticed this if it hadn't been for the fact that she felt his hand brush up against hers.

She stopped in her tracks. Was it an accident? Surely he didn't mean for their hands to touch; the sidewalk wasn't very wide, so it must have been nothing.

Snapping her out of her own thoughts came a voice from Honey. "Come one, Haru-chan," he called out, causing the rest of the Host Club to turn their heads towards her.

Haruhi walked quickly to join back up with them.

 _He didn't mean it_ , she told herself. _it was an accident. He didn't mean it._

 


	10. Chapter 10

Much to his displeasure, Kyoya couldn't sleep that night. No matter how hard he tripped, he just couldn't keep his eyes closed, which resulted in countless hours of tossing and turning. At the moment, he was laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling with only one thing on his mind. Haruhi.

The Ootori boys hound that it was ridiculous; what was so important about her that he couldn't get her off of his mind? And why did he still feel as excited as he did when he brushed his hand against Haruhi's? She was a commoner. He had no business thinking about a commoner more than absolutely necessary, even if said person was a member of the Host Club member.

With a sigh, the second year student sat up and ran a hand through his hair out of frustration. The clock next to his bed read five 'till two. Knowing that he would never be able to sleep, he began to think of something to do. Something that would make him stop thinking about Haruhi.

At first he opened his laptop and blinked as his watering eyes adjusted to its bright light. As he went through his files, he pointlessly hoped that the would be something that he had missed. Some homework to do. Some forms he had to fill out for the Host Club. Maybe some account to balance. As he had already known in the back of his mind, there was nothing.

With a frustrated sigh, Kyoya ran a hand through his already messy hair. What was he supposed to do now? He was far too irritated to even attempt to sleep, he had no work to do, and it was far too late to go out anywhere. Or was it?

While it was rather late, there wasn't actually anything prohibiting him from going on a walk. Maybe that's what he needed to clear his head. Fresh air. He desperately hoped that this would help him, even in the slightest bit, as he slid out of his bed and made his way down from his loft and to his dresser. His freshly washed uniform sat folded on the top of the wooden furniture. His blue jacket hung from a hanger that had been placed on the doorknob to his personal bathroom.

The second year student quietly opened the bottom drawer of the dresser, though he wasn't quite sure why he was being so cautious. He had no one to be afraid of waking, and his own thoughts were still had no intention of settling down just yet. He pulled out a pair of jeans, slid them on, and decided against changing into a new T-shirt. On the way out of his room, he grabbed his jacket and silently closed his door behind him.

As any teenager sneaking out of their house in the dead of night would do, he quickly looked both ways down the long hallway before making his way downstairs to the front door. It wasn't that he was afraid of getting caught, because he wasn't. Kyoya knew that none would pay any attention to him, mostly because everyone was off in their own corners of the house tucked away in their beds. If there was anyone awake, it would be the house staff, but he wasn't worried about them.

Finding a sense of urgency to get out of the suffocating walls of the Estate, he made his way to the door, slipped on his sneakers, and slipped out the front door. The cool autumn air caused a shiver to creep its way down his spine and seep through his skin and to his bones. Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, he zipped up his jacket, shoved his hands in his pockets, and was on his way down the long and winding driveway.

Kyoya found his way around town. It was nice to get out, especially now that he had noone to disrupt the peace, friends or not.

As he followed the street down, he stared up at the sky. The stars weren't tremendously visible thanks to the city lights, but he knew they were there, and for some reason that was reassuring to him. Maybe it was because he knew that there was something watching over him, as embarrassing as it would be to admit, that's how he felt.

The boy made his way through town and into a park. His surroundings were familiar, but for a moment, he wasn't quite sure why. Then it hit him. It was the very same park where he and the other hosts had run into Haruhi that afternoon. "Damn it," he hissed, seeming to startle a chipmunk that scurried away.

He knew he couldn't stop thinking about her, but had it really gotten this bad? That he was practically walking to her house (which was only a block or two away) in the middle of the night? If he was angry before than he was outraged now. How could he have betrayed himself like this?

"how could you not of noticed?" he asked himself before sighing yet again. Now he was talking to himself. Great.

Kyoya decided that the best thing to do in this situation was to just head home, so he turned on his heel and began walking back the way he came. This time, instead of feeling at ease, he couldn't help but to keep scolding himself. He should have noticed the way he was walking earlier. Why did he do this to himself?

The self-criticism kept coming, and he was getting tired of it. He had thought that he would have finally gotten a break from the thoughts about Haruhi, but things like this happened right? But was was _this_? As he got back to the Ootori Estate and climbed back up to his bed, he pulled out his phone, knowing only one person who could help.

"Hello?" A certain blond boy answered, his sleepiness tainting his voice. He must have been half asleep still.

"Tamaki, I'm sorry to have woken you," the youngest Ootori stated, suddenly feeling guilty for the whole thing.

"No, no," said Tamaki, who would have none of his apologies. "It's alright."

Kyoya just smiled lightly. This was such a Tamaki thing to do. He was always so selfless, and was always concerned about people, despite the time of day. "You're sure?"

"Positive. What are you-" the club president cut himself off with a yawn. "What are you doing up?"

Both of them, no, everyone that knew Kyoya knew how precious sleep was to him, and to be up at this hour was rather ridiculous, for him especially. "I couldn't sleep." Kyoya said.

Of course, this piece of news perked the Suoh heir right up. "Really? Why is that? Too much homework? Is it your dad? What about club profits? I swear I will stop spending so much. Oh! I know! Is it a girl? Or what abo-"

This time it was Kyoya that cut him off. "Yes, Tamaki, I do believe that is the problem."

"What? A girl?" The blond asked, sounding surprised. "What's her name?"

Kyoya grimaced as he thought of a way to get out of answering the question. There was absolutely no way that he could say it was Haruhi. At least not yet. He would have to tell him eventually, but he knew that. "I don't think I am at liberty to give that information. And even if I were, I wouldn't want to."

Despite his desperate need for information, Tamaki respected the boundaries set by his best friend. "Well, if you are confused, you _are_ a host," he pointed out. "You should know all there is to know about love and romance, and if you don't, then I have failed you as a friend."

This got Kyoya to smile a little, but not much. "You have yet to fail me Tamaki," he said with a quiet laugh. "I trust you. I think I need time to think is all. I am hanging up now Tamaki."

"Okay, but Kyoya, just remember that you will know if you are in love," Tamakisaid. "It will just feel... _different._ Goodnight, Kyoya."

"'Night Tamaki," he responded, pressing the _END CALL_ button on his screen.

So was this it? Did he really like Haruhi?


	11. Chapter 11

Haruhi's first day back at class was hectic to say the very least. The girls around her were so curious as to what happened with the the host, and of course, the twins weren't really any help either. She couldn't really blame them, though. They were pretty hyper, and the fact that their "toy" had been missing from class for about a week must have bored them to death.

After class was over, the two were immediately by her side. Hikaru on her right, and Kaoru the left. "Let's go Haruhi!" The eldest exclaimed, grabbing her arm. His brother followed his lead almost instantaneously. Most everyone thought that the two were always in sync, but she could tell that Kaoru was sometimes just a few steps behind.

"You have so much to explain to the guests!" The younger of the twins cried.

"Kyoya wasn't very happy that you were gone." The two chorused.

The fact that they wouldn't leave give her any space normally would have bothered her as much as it did at that exact moment had she not of been out for a week. But that was one week without their usual antics, and she had gotten used to the peace and quiet. Sure they had all reunited once at the park, but that was only for a few hours at most. Other than that, she hadn't seen anyone except for her father in the brief time that he actually had off from work.

Pull her arms free from their grasp, she sighed. "Can you guys please just give me some space," she said, sounding as if she was perfectly fine with just skipping the club just one more time. And she was. Her first day back at school had been full of questions and explanations, she just wanted one more afternoon to herself, especially since she had just received all of her missed work, which she had yet to go through. "Please. That is all I want. I will deal with Kyoya when I get there, but right now all I need is space."

At first, her two companions just blinked at her. Haruhi had never said anything like that before. At least not to them. Tamaki, sure, but that was because he would always be breathing down her neck if she didn't. The Hitatchiin brothers had no idea what to think, and for once, they were speechless. "Yeah, Haruhi, we gave give you some space, I guess," they murmured simultaneously, feeling slightly awkward, which was exceedingly out of the ordinary for them.

At that very moment, in music room three, a black haired boy sat at one of the tables with a cup of coffee next to him. Kyoya wasn't particularly fond of the dark liquid, and would normally prefer to have tea instead, but he was exhausted and desperate for any kind of energy boost. After several classes where he had nearly fallen asleep, he was more than ready to get home, but he, as the vice-president, could not just abandon the club, especially on the day that Haruhi was just returning.

Haruhi. She was such a complex figure. Kyoya couldn't never quite understand her, or how she thought. Sometimes he was able to predict what she would say or do, but there were also times were he couldn't.

"Kyoya!" cried a voice from the front of the room, and the boy couldn't help but roll his eyes. Tamaki.

"I'm in no mood for your antics today, Suoh," he sighed, closing his laptop. "You know fully well I did not sleep last night, and I won't hesitate to kill you."

Of course, it was an empty threat. Kyoya could never come close to anything like murder, but it got the president to quiet down.

"But, _mon ami_ , Haruhi's back! Isn't it wonderful!" the blond boy said, his actions much more mellow now than before. His tone showed that he was just as enthusiastic as before, though. Nothing could take that away. The Host Club was family to Tamaki, and he loved each member dearly.

"Yes, it's wonderful," the Ootori child responded blandly, looking up at his friend and pushing up his glasses. "However, Tamaki, I do have work to tend to, and you need to begin setting up. Today is expected to be a big day for profits and I won't let you ruin it. Now, please, just leave me alone."

Kyoya hadn't noticed that the twins had arrived to the club room until they spoke. "Wow, Senpai," they chorused with a small laugh. "It sounds like you didn't even care that Haruhi was gone."

The words were ridiculous. Of course he cared that she had been gone. In fact, he cared far more than he would ever like to admit. Clearing his throat he looked up from his screen and to the trio of newcomers. A certain brunette was sandwiched between the twins. The sight of her made him breathless, but seeing her so close to Hikaru and Kaoru made his blood boil.

 _Is this what jealousy feels like_ , he asked himself, standing up and clearing his throat.

"Insteading of starting trouble, why don't the two of you work on setting up?" Kyoya glared at the twins and straightened his tie. "Haruhi, I want to talk to you after hours, so don't leave right away, got it?"

The girl couldn't help but swallow hard at his tone. To be honest, she wanted nothing more than to just run away right then. Whatever he had to talk to her about was probably going to be unpleasant. Forcing herself to respond with a nod, she also choked out, "Okay."

That day, Haruhi answered the same two questions over and over again. It got annoying to have to say that she was out due to a concussion and that yes, she was okay. She never let anyone see her annoyance though. That would call for being a bad host, and she still had a debt to pay off. Not only this, but she genuinely liked her customers, and she understood their concern.

This, however, did not mean that when club hours were over, and all the girls had left the room, that she didn't slump in her chair and give a sigh of relief. Around her, the rest of the club members were packing up their belongings, getting ready to head home. A feeling of dread washed over her as she thought about having to stay behind with her senpai.

"What's wrong, Haru-chan?" Honey asked, his sweet voice coming from over her shoulder. "Does your head hurt?"

Haruhi smiled at his concern but was quick to dismiss it. "No, Senpai, I'm alright," she answered, lying through her teeth. Her nerves were eating her up inside. She wasn't exactly sure why though. Maybe it would be because it was her first encounter with Kyoya since the hand incident. Maybe because it was to be their first time alone together since he yelled at her about his notebook.

Maybe she would have to apologize again.

"Oh," he responded, clutching his bunny close to his chest. As his cousin came up behind him, he excused themselves. "Well, rest well tonight, okay, Haru-chan? I will see you tomorrow!"

Tamaki was the next to leave, and then it was the twins. Haruhi's anxiety grew as each member left, but she tried to keep her mind off of whatever was to come by picking up and washing each tea set. Her plan to get Kyoya to hold off on whatever conversation failed though, as he beckoned to her anyway.

"Haruhi," he called. It took the girl everything she had to keep from groaning.

Gently putting the tray she was just about to wash down on a table she made her way to him. She stood silently across the table he was occupying as she stared down at her hands. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to look at him, or even to say something.

"Haruhi, do you happen to have a graphing calculator?" the boy asked. He knew, though, that she did. He had this all planned out.

When she nodded her head, he continued on. "Good. I need you to graph something for me if you wouldn't mind."

His words sparked a certain curiosity. Surely, he had his own calculator and she knew that he was more than capable of doing whatever it was he needed. Skeptically, she retrieved it from her back back and returned to her spot, only to be handed a slip of paper.

"This is what I need you to graph, if you would be so kind," Kyoya said.

Carefully, she entered what was written. The result was something she was completely unprepared for.

A heart stared back up at her.

Surely it was a mistake. Something that Kyoya didn't mean to happen. Maybe it was for homework.

In her panic she looked over to where he had been sitting, only to find him missing. "Ky-" she got out, turning on her heel and nearly losing her balance. He has been standing right behind her.

At both events, she was flustered to say the least. Her heart was pounding, and she wasn't entirely sure she was breathing.

"Haruhi, I have something to tell you," Kyoya said, his words and tone soft. "And I understand if you choose not to accept it, but...I...I do believe I like you."

 _No. No. No._ Haruhi couldn't believe he was doing this. Not here. Not now. Maybe she felt the same way, but she wasn't anywhere near being able to confess. She wasn't sure she would ever be ready. "O-oh," she murmured, backing up a bit. "Oh."

Kyoya smirked, but the lack of response pained him. "Okay, Haruhi calm down."

The girl continued to back away from him, unconsciously taking a shaky step away. That was until her foot got caught on the leg of a chair, causing her to stumble a bit, but before she could fall, the elder grabbed hold of her.

"K-Kyoya," she stuttered, her voice light, airy, and uneven. His face was just inches from hers. Both of them knew this was wrong. Both of them knew that this was the last thing that they needed. That _anyone_ needed. But for every fiber of their beings that told them to just step away, there was another one encouraging them to close the gap. The turmoil was hell, but then...

Then there was bliss. Time seemed to slow down, if not a come to a complete halt, with his lips against hers.

That was, until a familiar voice cried out the name of a certain black haired boy.

Tamaki.


	12. Chapter 12

"Haruhi, I have something to tell you," Kyoya said, his words and tone soft. "And I understand if you choose not to accept it, but...I...I do believe I like you."

_No. No. No._ Haruhi couldn't believe he was doing this. Not here. Not now. Maybe she felt the same way, but she wasn't anywhere near being able to confess. She wasn't sure she would ever be ready. "O-oh," she murmured, backing up a bit. "Oh."

Kyoya smirked, but the lack of response pained him. "Okay, Haruhi calm down."

The girl continued to back away from him, unconsciously taking a shaky step away. That was until her foot got caught on the leg of a chair, causing her to stumble a bit, but before she could fall, the elder grabbed hold of her.

"K-Kyoya," she stuttered, her voice light, airy, and uneven. His face was just inches from hers. Both of them knew this was wrong. Both of them knew that this was the last thing that they needed. That _anyone_ needed. But for every fiber of their beings that told them to just step away, there was another one encouraging them to close the gap. The turmoil was hell, but then...

Then there was bliss. Time seemed to slow down, if not a come to a complete halt, with his lips against hers.

That was, until a familiar voice cried out the name of a certain black haired boy.

Tamaki.

Immediately, the two separated, Haruhi all but shoving her senpai away harshly.

"T-Tamaki," she said, blinking and breathing heavy. This was the absolute last thing that needed to happen, especially since she had just got back to school. This new drama would only make returning to the club hell. Well...it would become even more of a hell that it would have been after kissing Kyoya. "I-I promise this isn't what it looks like. We aren't..."

Shifting her gaze to Kyoya, she starts to feel nauseous, and she was sure that it wasn't because of the concussion.

He stared down at his shoes, which were apparently the most _amazing_ thing in the entire world at that moment in time. It was her turn to be killed with a lack of response.

_Why isn't he saying anything?!_

The chairman's son shook his head, his bangs fell into his eyes, and if they weren't in their current situation, Haruhi would remind him that he had a hair appointment that Thursday. They failed to hide the tears welling up, however.

Haruhi felt her heart break.

"No," he said, clearing his throat after hearing how rough his voice sounded. "It's...It's fine. I should have expected it honestly." There was a bitter laugh, that was threatened to be cut off by a break in his voice. "I mean...look at the two of you, you look so _cute_. And as the President of the Ouran Host Club.I wish you nothing but the best. Now...If you um..If you would excuse me...I'll just get going."

There wasn't any time for Haruhi, or for Kyoya, to react (not that he would. Haruhi hadn't heard him so much as _breathe_ since they had been intere) before he ducked out of the room, trying (and failing) to be discrete about swiping his tears away with his palm.

The horrible guilt that sat in her stomach couldn't be expressed as anything other than anger that was equally biting, and all of a sudden she couldn't stand to be so close to Kyoya.

"What was that," she said, voice strained as she fought to keep from raising her voice. It was a little more than slightly difficult. "W-why did you do that? Did it not occur to you that there would be a better place for this? Somewhere where someone wouldn't just _walk in_ and see?! Do you not consider how this will affect the club?"

In all honesty, she wasn't sure as to why she was placing full blame on Kyoya, when she knew that they both had a part in whatever had just gone down, but she couldn't help but get defensive. This _was_ , after all, her first kiss, if one didn't consider the one given to Kanako Kasugazaki at the party held just after becoming a host, and it _was_ so suddenly interrupted.

It was no excuse though, and the first year knew this, and she also knew that after the whole fiasco was done, and things had calmed down, which would likely be when she would be laying in bed attempting to fall asleep, she would feel even worse about her outburst, but for now, she couldn't help but to continue on like this.

"I can't believe you, Senpai," she spat. "Look at the mess you made."

The boy couldn't believe what was happening. He couldn't believe that Haruhi, _his_ Haruhi, of all people, was attacking him like this.

He knew that her anger wasn't _actually_ anger, but more like embarrassment she wasn't sure how to deal with, and he knew that he shouldn't feel as hurt as he did at that moment, he didn't know how else to feel.

"Haruhi," he said, finally shifting his gaze up to meet her brown eyes. "What happened...neither of us knew that he was going to come back. He forgot something silly, but decided he couldn't wait until tomorrow to get it. We both know how he is. I get you aren't happy with that, but you don't have to take it out on me. Just calm down. Please."

He definitely had good intentions, and she knew that, but for whatever reason, she couldn't help but even more worked up.

"I really can't, Senpai," she snapped, the sheer volume of the exclamation surprising even herself. She didn't stop there, though. Instead, she clenched her fists and continued on. "Were you not thinking? No, forget it. I know that you weren't. _I can't believe you_!"

Haruhi knew that she wasn't really _angry_ at her senpai; she wasn't even mad at him. But she was just so stressed from having missed school and so embarrassed from the invasion of her privacy; she couldn't help but get so worked up.

With her heart racing, she ran a hand roughly through her hair, trying to get ahold of herself before she said something that she truly regretted. "You know what, Senpai," she said as she forced her eyes away from his, taking as deep of a breath she could manage. "I think...I think I should just go home. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Hurriedly, the girl grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder and made her way out of Music Room 3, leaving Kyoya alone with the now forgotten calculator that laid broken by his foot on the floor, heart still visible behind the broken screen.

The boy didn't even remember it being dropped, but he could guess it happened some time between the time of Haruhi tripping and Tamaki making his appearance.

Kyoya decided to leave it in it's place as he collected his own belongings and dejectedly made

his way out of the school, wanting nothing more than to just be home.

Over the course of the next few days, Haruhi followed the same strict routine. Wake up, go to school, club, study, sleep. Wake up, school, club, study, sleep. Wake up, school, study, sleep...

It wasn't good for her to be submerging herself entirely in whatever work she had to make up from her missed classes. The doctor had stressed the importance of rest and going easy on herself, but how else could she keep her mind off of what had happened not a week ago?

She couldn't stand to be in the same room as the youngest Ootori boy, in fact, the very thought of it made her stomach to be in knots and caused her to become anxiety ridden.

Regrettably, conversation or even just seeing Kyoya couldn't be avoided, but she definitely did her absolute best to minimize any contact with him for the time being. She waited for the bell to ring in the room of her first period class now, ate lunch by herself in the courtyard (or at least tried to, but the occasional customer would see her by herself and ask where the rest of the group was, to which she would reply "They're inside. I just needed some time to myself and fresh air. I'm still recovering, you know."). She still participated in club activities, but as soon as they were over, she claimed her head hurt too much for her to stay any later and ducked out of the club room and made her way home.

Her strange behavior was noted by all members, as was the tension between Tamaki and Kyoya, but the others decided it was best to leave it be for now, hoping that the strange behavior would stop soon and that whatever the issue was, that it would sort itself out soon.

Meanwhile, Haruhi just hoped that she would wake up from whatever kind of nightmare she had become trapped in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sarah here, back after over a year and a half away.
> 
> First I just want to say that I am so, so, so sorry for leaving you all hanging like that, but I had quite a few medical issues that needed to be worked out (like I was just in the hospital two weeks ago) and unfortunately, I'm still not doing so well. My migraines have become so bad that it's like an every day thing now, which leaves me unable to write and when I do feel okay enough, I didn't have the motivation.
> 
> I'm going to be completely honest with you and say that I have no idea when the next chapter is going to be posted. It may be next week, it may be next month, but it also may be next year and I'm so very sorry guys.
> 
> I'm just about to start my senior year and Ii'm trying very hard to get everything under control in my life right now, especially since I plan on going to school all the way on the other side of the country.
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with me this far, and thank you for tolerating my shitty writing (I went back through and edited each chapter the best I could without totally rewriting the story before posting this chapter). Hopefully, you have been able to see some of my more recent works on Tumblr.
> 
> I love you all so, so much and I hope you at least somewhat enjoyed this chapter of Love and Other Headaches.
> 
> Please review!


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